PGA Tour Surveys Players Over Golf Ball Rollback

The PGA Tour is surveying players on their thoughts about the golf ball rollback — (Image credit: Getty Images)

The PGA Tour is canvassing opinion from its playing membership on the big golf ball distance rollback debate.

The proposed rollback of the golf ball is big news in the sport, with opinion divided on the plans proposed by the R&A and USGA.

Originally planned for 2028, the rollback could be put back until 2030 as the two governing bodies look for feedback on the process.

Augusta National chairman Fred Ridley used his pre-Masters address to voice his support for the rollback, but a lot of players think differently.

To that end, the PGA Tour has reportedly sent out a questionnaire to all players on the top tour and also the second-tier Korn Ferry Tour.

The survey, as published by Golf.com, has 13 questions about how the R&A and USGA's rollback plans would affect the players.

And pointedly, it also asks players whether the PGA Tour should implement these new rollback policies at all or whther it should have its own rules for distance.

The two questions asked could hint at huge future implications for how the PGA Tour is governed.

Those questions being:

Should the PGA Tour implement this rule?
Should the PGA Tour have its own rule-making process for both play and equipment?

Could the PGA Tour breakaway from R&A and USGA rules?

Fred Ridley and Gary Player in green jackets speaking inside the Masters press building

Those two questions posed to the PGA playing membership conjure up the possibility that CEO Brian Rolapp and those others making decisions could be ready to defy golf's traditional rule makers.

It's clear a lot of players are against the golf ball rollback, and all of the golf equipment manufacturers feel it would be bad for their business models.

So the PGA Tour may well be thinking about an alternative way forward other than just accept the rollback process that the R&A and USGA want to bring in.

That holds the possibility of yet another seismic split in the world of golf, as while many have just accepted that if the rollback is brought in the PGA Tour would have follow it - that may now not be the case.

Rolapp has put the emphasis for his new vision of the PGA Tour on being led by the players, fans, and broadcast partners.

And Cameron Young reportedly already playing with a golf ball that would conform to the new rules raises the subject of whether the rollback is even needed.

If the players voice their opinion and come out fully against the rollback then Rolapp and the PGA Tour could well move in a different direction.

Paul Higham is a sports journalist with over 20 years of experience in covering most major sporting events for both Sky Sports and BBC Sport. He is currently freelance and covers the golf majors on the BBC Sport website. Highlights over the years include covering that epic Monday finish in the Ryder Cup at Celtic Manor and watching Rory McIlroy produce one of the most dominant Major wins at the 2011 US Open at Congressional. He also writes betting previews and still feels strangely proud of backing Danny Willett when he won the Masters in 2016 - Willett also praised his putting stroke during a media event before the Open at Hoylake. Favourite interviews he's conducted have been with McIlroy, Paul McGinley, Thomas Bjorn, Rickie Fowler and the enigma that is Victor Dubuisson. A big fan of watching any golf from any tour, sadly he spends more time writing about golf than playing these days with two young children, and as a big fair weather golfer claims playing in shorts is worth at least five shots. Being from Liverpool he loves the likes of Hoylake, Birkdale and the stretch of tracks along England's Golf Coast, but would say his favourite courses played are Kingsbarns and Portrush.